Gordon Bok - Broken down squatter

^FCome, Stumpy, old man, we must shift while we can All your mates in the ^Bbpaddock are ^Fdead ^C We must ^Fsay our farewells to Glen Eva's sweet dells And the ^Chills where your master was ^Fbred

^FTogether to roam from our drought-stricken home Seems hard that such ^Bbthings have to ^Fbe ^C And it's ^Fhard on a horse, when he's naught for a boss But a ^Cbroken-down squatter like ^Fme

For the ^Bbbanks are all broken, they ^Fsay And the merchants are all up a ^Ctree When the ^Fbigwigs are brought to the bankruptcy court What ^Cchance for a ^Bbsquatter like ^Fme?

^FNo more shall we muster the river for strays Or hunt on the ^Bbfifteen-mile ^Fplain ^C Or ^Fdash through the scrub by the light of the moon Or ^Csee the old homestead a^Fgain

^FLeave the slip-railings down, they don't matter much now For there's none but the ^Bbcrow left to ^Fsee ^C Perching ^Fgaunt on the pine, as though longing to dine On a ^Cbroken-down squatter like ^Fme

For the ^Bbbanks are all broken, they ^Fsay And the merchants are all up a ^Ctree When the ^Fbigwigs are brought to the bankruptcy court What ^Cchance for a ^Bbsquatter like ^Fme?

^FWhen the country was cursed with the drought at its worst And the cattle were ^Bbdying in ^Fscores ^C Though ^Fdown on me luck, I kept up me pluck Thinking ^Cjustice might soften the ^Flaws

^FBut the farce had been played, and the government aid Ain't extended to ^Bbsquatters, old ^Fson ^C When me ^Fmoney was spent, they doubled the rent And re^Csumed the best part of the ^Frun

For the ^Bbbanks are all broken, they ^Fsay And the merchants are all up a ^Ctree When the ^Fbigwigs are brought to the bankruptcy court What ^Cchance for a ^Bbsquatter like ^Fme?